Properties like temperature, pressure, magnetization, heat capacity, conductivity, etc describe the material world. Macroscopic objects are made up of huge numbers of fundamental particles interacting in simple ways--obeying the Schr?dinger equation, Newton's and Coulomb's Laws. In this course we will develop the tools of statistical physics, which will allow us to predict the cooperative phenomena that emerge in large ensembles of interacting particles. We will apply those tools to a wide variety of physical questions, including the behavior of gasses, polymers, heat engines, magnets, and electrons in solids.

Class Format: lecture/discussion, three hours per week; laboratory, three hours per week

Requirements/Evaluation: evaluation will be based on weekly problem sets, exams, and labs, all of which have a substantial quantitative component